Pencil sharpener

ABSTRACT

A pencil sharpener is formed of a housing with an opening in its surface and a cover extending across and closing the opening. A sharpening member is secured to the cover and extends inwardly into the housing so that a pencil to be sharpened has its longitudinal axis extending transversely of the cover. The cover is elastically deformable in the direction transverse to the direction of insertion of a pencil into the sharpening member so that any force exerted on a pencil in such transverse direction will be absorbed by the cover and will not result in damage to the pencil. The elastic deformation can be provided by the use of an elastically deformable material for the cover and, further, by shaping the cover, such as with grooves, so that it deforms elastically in the desired direction.

[ 1 Aug.6, 1974 PENCIL SHARPENER [75] Inventor: Werner Mobius, Erlangen,Germany [73] Assignee: Firma T. Paul Mobius, Erlangen,

Germany 22 Filed: May 16, 1973 211 Appl. No.: 360,794

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 20, 1972 Germany 2224888 [52US. Cl. l45/3.3, 145/361 [51] Int. Cl B43] 23/08 [58] Field of Searchl45/3.l-3.9

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1.810.285 6/1931 Luppert145/331 2.502.177 3/1950 Sigman 145/36 2.613.645 10/1952 Von Kameniczkyl44/28.ll

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 922.876 1/1955 Germany 144/28.1 601.0438/1934 Germany 145/332 1,308,686 10/1962 France 145/331 PrimaryExaminerAl Lawrence Smith Assistant Examiner-J. T. Zatarga Attorney,Agent, or FirmToren, McGeady and Stanger 5 7] ABSTRACT A pencilsharpener is formed of a housing with an opening in its surface and acover extending across and closing the opening. A sharpening member issecured to the cover and extends inwardly into the housing so that apencil to be sharpened has its longitudinal axis extending transverselyof the cover. The cover is elastically deformable in the directiontransverse to the direction of insertion of a pencil into the sharpeningmember so that any force exerted on a pencil in such transversedirection will be absorbed by the cover and will not result in damage tothe pencil. The elastic deformation can be provided by the use of anelastically deformable material for the cover and, further, by shapingthe cover, such as with grooves, so that it deforms elastically in thedesired direction.

13 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures f j 7 ll j PENCIL SHARPENER SUMMARY OF THEINVENTION The present invention is directed to a pencil sharpener and,more particularly, it concerns an elastically deformable member throughwhich the pencil is inserted into the sharpener.

Generally speaking, in a pencil sharpener a sharpening member is fixedto and extends inwardly from a cover into a housing so that the housingcollects the shavings from a pencil as it is sharpened. Duringsharpening, the housing is held in one hand and a pencil is held in theother and inserted into the sharpener. During insertion of the pencil,especially with inept or hasty handling, the pencil may be movedtransverse to its longitudinal direction, that is transverse to thelongitudinal axis of the sharpening member. As a rule, such transversemovements of the pencil cause its tip to be broken-off so that thesharpening step must be repeated. When a pencil has to be resharpenedunder such circumstances it is both bothersome and time-consuming andresults in a premature consumption of the pencil.

Therefore, it is the primary object of the present invention toeliminate the above-mentioned disadvantages in a pencil sharpener byusing a sharpener construction which at least reduces the danger ofbreaking off pencil tips and further affords an inexpensive sharpenerwhich can be easily produced.

In accordance with the present invention, the sharpener housing has anopening closed by a cover member from which a sharpening member extendsinto the interior of the housing. The cover is elastically deformable sothat it absorbs any forces extending transversely of the longitudinaldirection of the pencil inserted into the sharpening member. In apreferred form of the invention, the cover is made of an elasticmaterial and, in addition, it is shaped to provide further elasticabsorption of transverse forces. The shaping of the cover may beeffected by forming curvilinear or angularly surfaced grooves in thesurface of the cover between the point of attachment of the sharpeningmember and its outer edge or rim which is fitted to the housing. Inanother embodiment, the outer surface of the cover has a convex orconical shape. In still another embodiment the cover can be providedwith one or more areas of reduced strength or reduced cross-section.

Covers formed in accordance with the invention are easy to manufactureat low cost. Preferably, the covers are molded or extruded from aplastic of adequate elasticity. The elastic characteristic of the coverin the transverse direction to a pencil inserted into the sharpeningmember can be selected with respect to its dimensions and design sothat, on one hand, any transverse forces are elastically absorbed andinadvertent breaking off of a pencil tip is prevented or at least thelikelihood is reduced, and, on the other hand, the cover is adequatelysecured to the sharpener housing.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention arepointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming apart of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention,its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use,reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptivematter in which there are illustrated and described preferredembodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a pencil sharpener embodyingthe present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top or end view of the sharpener shown in FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 3 to 6 illustrate transverse sectional views of a number ofembodiments of covers for the pencil sharpener which are formed inaccordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In FIGS. 1 and 2 a pencilsharpener embodying the present invention is illustrated and it includesa housing 1 in which the pencil shavings are collected and an.

opening in one end of the housing is closed by a cover 2 with the coverbeing fitted into or onto the housing or being screwed to it. Asharpening member 4 is secured to the cover by screws 3 and extends intothe interior of the housing. An opening 5 is located centrally in thecover for inserting a pencil into the sharpening member 4. A pencil 12is shown in dot-dash lines inserted through the opening 5 into thesharpening member 4 and the longitudinal axis of the pencil extendsparallel to the central longitudinal axis 6 of the housing andtransversely of the surface of the cover 2. If, as shown in FIGS. 1 and2, the sharpening member 4 is arranged exactly centrally of the cover 2and of the housing 1, the longitudinal axis of the pencil l2 coincideswith the longitudinal axis 6 of the housing.

To avoid or at least to reduce the harmful effect of forces actingtransversely of the longitudinal axis of the pencil, as indicated by thearrows A, B in FIG. 1, the cover 2 is arranged so that it elasticallyabsorbs forces acting in the transverse direction. To provide the coverwith its desired resilient characteristic, it is formed of an elasticmaterial and, in addition, an annular groove 7 is provided in the outeredge or rim portion of the cover, that is the portion fitted into thehousing. As displayed in FIG. 2, the groove 7 extends inwardly from thesurface of the cover extending transversely of the longitudinal axis ofthe pencil and the housing, and the groove is located between thecircumferential peripheral edge of the cover and its point of attachmentto the sharpening member 4. Further, the groove 7 extends annularly as acomplete circle about the longitudinal axis of the housing. Instead of asingle groove formed in the rim portion of the cover, one or moregrooves or corrugations 8,v 9 can be formed in the surface of the coverbetween the opening through which the pencil is inserted and the rimportion fitted to the housing. In FIG. 3, the surface 8 of the cover iscorrugated or curvilinear while in FIG. 4 the surface 9 of the cover iscomposed of angular surfaces forming grooves of rectangularcross-section. The grooved surfaces of the cover in FIGS. 3 and 4provide a tortuous configuration to the cross-section of the coverbetween the pencil opening and the rim portion. If only a single grooveor corrugation is formed in the cover, it is advisable to position it,as in FIG. 1, near the rim of the cover since such a configuration canbe favorably produced in forming the cover of extruded plastic.Preferably, the corrugations or grooves 8, 9 in FIGS. 3 and 4 areannular in form and disposed concentrically about the longitudinal axisof the housing.

In FIG. 5 another embodiment of the cover 2 formed of an elasticmaterial is shown with the outwardly directed surface of the coverhaving an arch-like or convex shape. With such an arrangement the shapeof the cover and the material from which it is formed permit it toabsorb transverse forces elastically. In FIG. 6 still another embodimentof the cover is shown in which areas i1 located intermediate the pencilopening and the rim portion in the outer surface of the cover have areduced cross-sectional shape, that is an area which is relativelyweaker than the remainder of the cover for affording elasticdeformability.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown anddescribed in detail to illustrate the application of the inventiveprinciples, it will be understood that the invention may be embodiedotherwise without departing from such principles.

I claim:

1. A pencil sharpener of the type for sharpening both the lead andremoving and trimming the wooden shank enclosing the lead, saidsharpener including a housing having an opening, a cover forming aclosure for the opening in said housing and having an opening for theinsertion of a pencil, a pencil sharpening member secured to said coverand extending into the interior of said housing, said sharpening memberhaving an axis extending approximately perpendicularly to the plane ofthe housing opening and centrally of the opening in said cover, thesharpening surface of said sharpening member being located on andextending along the central axis of the opening in said cover, saidcover and said sharpening member being arranged so that a pencil can beinserted through said cover opening into said sharpening member with thepencil extending approximately perpendicularly of the plane of theopening of said housing and along the axis of the opening, wherein theimprovement comprises that the axis of the sharpening surface of saidsharpening member is maintained in and extends along the axis of theopening in said cover and said cover is elastically deformable in theplane of the opening of said housing, said cover absorbing forces actingon and directed transversely of the longitudinal axis of a pencilinserted into said sharpening member, said sharpening member beingdisplaceable with said cover when said cover is elastically deformed.

2. A pencil sharpener, as set forth in claim 11, wherein said cover isformed of an elastic material.

3. A pencil sharpener, as set forth in claim 2, wherein said covermember has a first portion extending across the opening in said housingand the outer surface of said first portion is convex.

4. A pencil sharpener, as set forth in claim 2, wherein said covermember has a first portion extending across the opening in said housingand said first portion has an annular shaped reduced strength portion ascompared to the remainder of said first portion.

5. A pencil sharpener, as set forth in claim 4, wherein said annularshaped reduced strength portion has a reduced thickness and is locatedintermediate. the radially inner edge and the radially outer edge ofsaid first portion.

6. A. pencil sharpener, as set forth in claim 2, wherein said coverformed of an elastic material is shaped to provide additional elasticdeformability.

7. A pencil sharpener, as set forth in claim 6, wherein at least aportion of the surface of said cover in the plane of the opening itcloses has a tortuous configuration.

8. A pencil sharpener, as set forth in claim 6, wherein said covermember has a first portion extending generally in the plane of theopening it closes and a second portion forming a peripheral rim aboutand extending angularly from the radial outer edge of said firstportion, and a groove formed inwardly from the plane of said firstportion into said second portion with said groove extending in thedirection of insertion of a pencil into said sharpening member.

9. A pencil sharpener, as set forth in claim 8, wherein said grooveextends annularly through the surface of said first portion of saidcover.

10. A pencil sharpener, as set forth in claim 6, wherein said covermember has a first portion extending generally in the plane of theopening it closes and a second portion forming a peripheral rim aboutand extending angularly from the radially outer edge of said firstportion, and grooves extending transversely of the radial direction ofsaid cover and said grooves formed into the surface of said first partof said cover radially inwardly from said second portion.

11. A pencil sharpener, as set forth in claim 10, wherein the surfacesof said grooves are disposed angularly to one another and form atortuous configuration on the surface of the first portion of saidcover.

12. A pencil sharpener, as set forth in claim 10, wherein the surface ofsaid grooves have a curvilinear form and provide a tortuousconfiguration on the surface of said first portion of said cover.

13. A pencil sharpener, as set forth in claim 110, wherein said groovesextend continuously and concentrically in the surface of the firstportion of said cover. l

1. A pencil sharpener of the type for sharpening both the lead and removing and trimming the wooden shank enclosing the lead, said sharpener including a housing having an opening, a cover forming a closure for the opening in said housing and having an opening for the insertion of a pencil, a pencil sharpening member secured to said cover and extending into the interior of said housing, said sharpening member having an axis extending approximately perpendicularly to the plane of the housing opening and centrally of the opening in said cover, the sharpening surface of said sharpening member being located on and extending along the central axis of the opening in said cover, said cover and said sharpening member being arranged so that a pencil can be inserted through said cover opening into said sharpening member with the pencil extending approximately perpendicularly of the plane of the opening of said housing and along the axis of the opening, wherein the improvement comprises that the axis of the sharpening surface of said sharpening member is maintained in and extends along the axis of the opening in said cover and said cover is elastically deformable in the plane of the opening of said housing, said cover absorbing forces acting on and directed transversely of the longitudinal axis of a pencil inserted into said sharpening member, said sharpening member being displaceable with said cover when said cover is elastically deformed.
 2. A pencil sharpener, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said cover is formed of an elastic material.
 3. A pencil sharpener, as set forth in claim 2, wherein said cover member has a first portion extending across the opening in said housing and the outer surface of said first portion is convex.
 4. A pencil sharpener, as set forth in claim 2, wherein said cover member has a first portion extending across the opening in said housing and said first portion has an annular shaped reduced strength portion as compared to the remainder of said first portion.
 5. A pencil sharpener, as set forth in claim 4, wherein said annular shaped reduced strength portion has a reduced thickness and is located intermediate the radially inner edge and the radially outer edge of said first portion.
 6. A pencil sharpener, as set forth in claim 2, wherein said cover formed of an elastic material is shaped to provide additional elastic deformability.
 7. A pencil sharpener, as set forth in claim 6, wherein at least a portion of the surface of said cover in the plane of the opening it closes has a tortuous configuration.
 8. A pencil sharpener, as set forth in claim 6, wherein said cover member has a first portion extending generally in the plane of the opening it closes and a second portion forming a peripheral rim about and extending angularly from the radial outer edge of said first portion, and a groove formed inwardly from the plane of said first portion into said second portion with said groove extending in the direction of insertion of a pencil into said sharpening member.
 9. A pencil sharpener, as set forTh in claim 8, wherein said groove extends annularly through the surface of said first portion of said cover.
 10. A pencil sharpener, as set forth in claim 6, wherein said cover member has a first portion extending generally in the plane of the opening it closes and a second portion forming a peripheral rim about and extending angularly from the radially outer edge of said first portion, and grooves extending transversely of the radial direction of said cover and said grooves formed into the surface of said first part of said cover radially inwardly from said second portion.
 11. A pencil sharpener, as set forth in claim 10, wherein the surfaces of said grooves are disposed angularly to one another and form a tortuous configuration on the surface of the first portion of said cover.
 12. A pencil sharpener, as set forth in claim 10, wherein the surface of said grooves have a curvilinear form and provide a tortuous configuration on the surface of said first portion of said cover.
 13. A pencil sharpener, as set forth in claim 10, wherein said grooves extend continuously and concentrically in the surface of the first portion of said cover. 